Livestock trailers and other vehicle bodies heretofore have been provided with considerable open areas in the side walls thereof to facilitate ventilation during the shipment of livestock. However, such trailers, including open areas in the side walls thereof, are not suitable for shipping other types of freight, such as boxes and containers as well as bulk loads which may be damaged by inclement weather. Accordingly, livestock trailers of the type including open area side walls may not be used for other freight carrying purposes and are thus, for the most part, limited to one-way loads and subject to only occasional use. Therefore, a need exists for structure whereby a livestock trailer including considerable open areas in the side walls thereof may be converted into a fully closed trailer which may be used in all types of weather for transporting bulk loads.
Examples of livestock vehicle load bodies and the like which may be converted into substantially fully closed bodies for hauling bulk freight are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 365,461, 437,332, 965,203, 967,318, 1,563,470 and 2,166,475. However, these previously known forms of convertible vehicle load bodies, for the most part, are not constructed in a manner whereby a totally weather-type bulk freight enclosure therefor may be provided.